US troops fire in air at Kabul airport in front of thousands of Afghans trying to escape

Troops of United States fired into the air on Monday when thousands of Afghans crowded the runway of the airport to try to catch a flight out of the country after the Taliban seized power, a witness said.

“I am very scared here. They are firing many shots into the air”, the witness declared to AFP.

Scenes of panic were seen in the capital Kabul after the rapid collapse of the government, when insurgents stormed the presidential palace on Sunday.

Thousands of people tried to flee Monday out of fear of the Taliban’s strict version of Islam, with scenes of chaos as crowds gathered at the airport.